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Exercising outdoors is great fun and good for your health, but it can also be downright dangerous.
Hundreds of thousands of walkers, runners and cyclists are injured on our
roads each year -- and thousands are killed.
Take a look at these figures from 2006 from the CDC's National Center for
Injury Prevention and Control and the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration's National Center for Statistics and Analysis:
- 170,048 pedestrians were injured and treated in hospital
emergency departments
- 4,784 pedestrians died
- 74% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in urban areas
- 79% at non-intersection locations
- 90% in normal weather conditions
- 69% at night
- 466,712 cyclists were injured and treated in hospital
emergency departments
- 773 cyclists died
- 73% of cycling fatalities occurred in urban areas
- 68% at non-intersection locations
- 27% between the hours of 5 and 9 pm.
Road Safety Tips
I was told by John Pucher, PhD, professor of urban planning
and transportation in The Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University in New Jersey, "It's like the Wild, Wild West out there --
assume that motorists are not going to respect your rights as a pedestrian or
cyclist, so you must walk, run and cycle as defensively as
possible." When you head out for a walk, run or ride, don't
count on others to keep you safe. Though motorists are
required to follow crosswalk laws and yield right of way to
pedestrians and cyclists, few drivers actually stop and few
states enforce this rule. "You're taking your life in your
own hands," he said. The key message for safe walking,
running and cycling on roads is: See and be seen, and be
smart about it. I asked Dr. Pucher to list the specific
rules we should all follow to stay safe on the road. We
learned many of these as kids, but we were faster then...
and there was lots less traffic. No one can afford to be
sloppy about adhering to these rules of the road:
Pedestrians:
Always walk on the sidewalk, and if there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic.
Be able to see where you're going. If you're walking at
night, carry a flashlight and cross in a well-lit area.
Be visible to drivers. Wear light or bright-colored
clothing, including reflective vests, accessories and
shoes. Stand clear of parked vehicles (trucks, buses,
cars), hedges or other obstacles so drivers can see you.
Walk defensively.
Don't assume vehicles will stop. Make eye
contact with drivers so you can be sure they see you...
don't just look at the vehicle.
Cross streets at marked crosswalks or intersections, if
possible. This is where drivers know to expect pedestrians,
which is not the case on other parts of the road. Also be
alert for cars running red lights. And remember that cars,
trucks, motorcycles and bikes stop at different speeds, so
make sure they've stopped before you step into the street
to cross.
Watch for turning vehicles -- especially those with large
loads, as they require more space. Every vehicle has blind
spots and drivers may not see you.
Obey all traffic signals. In addition, look left, right,
behind you and left again before crossing a street or
stepping into traffic.
Don't be distracted by wearing headphones or talking on a
cell phone while crossing or when you are near traffic.
Be cautious near reversing cars, trucks and other vehicles
in parking lots and near on-street parking locations.
Runners:
Pedestrian rules also apply to runners, but are even more
important -- people exerting themselves may be even less
aware of their surroundings and have less time to think
through options in moments of danger.
Cyclists:
Whenever possible, ride on a trail, paved shoulder, bike
lane or bike route, or on a traffic-calmed street, where
there are fewer cars and speeds are low.
If you must ride on a road, ride with traffic and follow
the rules of the road. Going with the flow of traffic makes
cyclists more visible and predictable to motorists,
especially at intersections and driveways. Ride on the
right side of the road and be on the lookout for doors
opening from parked cars.
Ride straight on the road, and never wind in and around
cars.
Use hand signals when turning and stopping.
Watch for turning traffic. Car/bike collisions often occur
at intersections and driveways when motorists or bicyclists
are turning.
Obey all traffic signs, signals and lane markings and yield
to traffic when appropriate, including for pedestrians.
Be predictable. Try not to do things that motorists and
other travelers may not be expecting.
Be visible. Make sure motorists can see you. If riding in
the dark, use headlights, taillights and reflectors and
wear reflective materials and brightly colored clothing.
Bicycles should be equipped with a front light and a red
reflector or a rear flashing light. The easier you are to
see, the safer you are.
Be loud. Put a bell on your bike to make noise to alert
pedestrians and others.
Always wear a bicycle helmet. It's been shown that helmets
effectively reduce crash fatalities and head injuries.
Don't wear headphones -- they reduce your ability to hear
traffic coming from behind you, which is especially
critical when cycling.
If you'd like more information on pedestrian and bicycle
safety, check out these Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration funded sites --
www.walkinginfo.org and www.bicyclinginfo.org. Not only do
they have checklists and other educational resources, they
also provide information helpful to those who want to work
toward greater safety for the community -- efforts we'd all
benefit by.
Dr. Pucher especially emphasizes that latter
point, "very, very" strongly urging people to actively
advocate for better facilities and policies for walking and
cycling. "Walking and cycling can be made safe -- they are
roughly five times safer in the Netherlands, Denmark and
Germany," he notes, adding the difference is due to safer
facilities and more considerate driving and not safer
behavior by pedestrians and cyclists -- though of course,
we can all start there.
Source(s):
John Pucher, PhD, is professor of urban planning and
transportation in The Bloustein School of Planning and
Public Policy at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Dr.
Pucher has conducted research for the US Department of
Transportation, the Canadian government and various
European ministries of transport.
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This personal non-commercial site exists soley for educational purposes to educate the public on bicycling related issues for the state of Iowa
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